Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, November 20 – 24, 2023

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading.

5) BlueScope unveils vision for Port Kembla Steelworks land

BlueScope Steel has unveiled a Master Plan to develop 200 Hectares (Ha) of non-steelmaking, excess landholdings adjacent to the company’s Port Kembla Steelworks in New South Wales.

The Master Plan will see BlueScope transform the surplus land next door to its steelmaking plant, into what the company calls ‘a next generation multi-industrial precinct’ with potential to create 30,000 jobs in emerging industries like clean energy and defence.

The plan includes new commercial and industrial buildings, repurposed existing structures including an old blast furnace complex and community and open spaces.

4) Detmold announces new CEO

Adelaide-headquartered packaging company Detmold Group has announced Sascha Detmold Cox as its new CEO, effective immediately, after what it said was an “extensive recruitment process”.

Detmold Cox has worked at Detmold for over three decades, including in her current role as CEO of Detmold Medical. Executive Chair Rodney Detmold will assume the role of Acting CEO, Detmold Medical, to ensure business continuity.

Over Detmold Cox’s time at the company, she has worked across its business units globally, including several years based in Singapore.

3) $1.8 billion in NSW renewable projects announced through Capacity Investment Scheme

The federal and NSW governments have announced six projects through the Capacity Investment Scheme, aimed at providing over a gigawatt of dispatchable power across the state.

According to a joint statement on Wednesday, the projects collectively represent 1,075 megawatts of reliable capacity, and eight per cent of the total 2022/23 NSW summer peak demand into the network at short notice.

Each is targeting commercial operations by December 2025, and together they total $1.8 billion in energy infrastructure.

2) Defence ensures future of Austal and its Henderson shipyard

The federal government has moved to secure the future of Austal’s Perth shipbuilding operation and its Henderson yard in Western Australia, writes Peter Roberts.

Defence has entered into a new strategic partnership with Austal which will see 18 of the Army’s new Landing Craft Medium built at Henderson.

Austal will also deliver two new Evolved Cape-Class Patrol Boats for the Royal Australian Navy at an acquisition cost of $157.1 million.

1) Fortescue presses ‘go’ on 3 green hydrogen projects

Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group has pressed ‘go’ on three green hydrogen projects in Australia and internationally to cost a collective $1.14 billion (US$750 million) over the next three years.

The company’s board announced final investment decision had been reached on two green energy projects including one planned for Gladstone, Queensland and a green metals project planned for the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

FMG also named a number of projects to be fast tracked for potential approval in Brazil, Kenya and Norway ‘representing a geographical and technological diversity to establish a global glide path for Fortescue Energy and its green hydrogen and adjacent technologies and industries to be firmly established’.

And in case you missed our podcast…

In episode 74 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, University of South Australia PhD researcher Kathryn Anderson tells us about the differences between clusters, industrial districts and innovation districts; the enduring and unhelpful habit of comparing things to Silicon Valley; and more.

Picture: credit Fortescue